Mark Hamill's Birthday: Top 5 iconic roles of the Star Wars hero

Hamill was born in 1951 in Oakland, California, to US Navy Captain William Thomas Hamill and Virginia Suzanne. He studied theatre at Los Angeles City College and started his acting career on 'The Bill Cosby Show' in 1969.

Hamill rose to the status of Hollywood royalty with his character of Luke Skywalker when 'Star Wars' was released on May 25, 1977. He then went on to act in the franchise's prequels, 'Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi', establishing himself as a stalwart in the Hollywood industry.

On his birthday, let's look at Hamill's top five iconic roles that helped him dominate the silver screen.

1. Luke Skywalker in 'Star Wars' (1977)

Hamill is almost synonymous with this role in one of the most iconic sci-fi film franchises in Hollywood history. In this movie, he plays the role of Skywalker, a simple farmhand who gets his hand on the plans for the Death Star and then is drawn towards the battle between the Resistance and The Empire. The rest, as his fans believe, is history.

2. Private Griff in 'The Big Red One' (1980)

Hamill, in this war film, played a small but very impactful role. Griff, in the movie, is shown as an army personnel who hesitates to kill another soldier but then eventually goes on to kill a German Nazi soldier. His role perfectly showcased how war can change the fundamental elements of what makes a person, human and turn normal human beings into killers.

3. Justin McCay in 'Midnight Ride' (1990)?

Hamill, in this 90s action and thriller classic, played the role of a disturbed hitchhiker with a penchant for murder. In the story, McCay takes a ride with a woman who is leaving her husband, who is a policeman, after which events take a turn for the worse. Hamill played the role of a psychopath to the utmost perfection, which displayed his immense range as an actor as opposed to his more positive and heroic role in 'Star Wars.'?

4. Will Tasker in 'Slipstream' (1982)?

In this film, which is set in a dystopian future, Hamill stars as a bounty hunter, Will Tasker, who is on a mission with his partner to track a person called Byron. Hamill puts on a stellar performance in this movie as a strict and ruthless bounty hunter who will do just about anything to keep law and order in check.?

5. Joker in 'Batman: The Killing Joke' (2016)

Hamill voiced one of the most legendary anti-hero characters, the Joker, in this animated film based on the hit graphic novel. He was able to showcase the 'clown prince of crime' at his psychotic best, which is a testament to Hamill's range as an artist who shines both on and off-screen.

Hamill's other notable characters include Ted Mitchum in 'Brigsby Bear' (2017) and a high school kid named Kenny in 'Corvette Summer' (1978), to name a few, which only adds to his acclaim as an actor.